jefferson



- (No Model.)

0. W. JEFFERSON.

MAIL BAG FASTENER- No. 308,168 Patented Nov. 18, 1884 Ag V7/ 45 mm $1 Fly WITNESSES 56K INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

llnrrnn STATES PAT NT Fries.

CHARLES \V. JEFFERSON, OF RUGBY, TENNESSEE.

MAIL-BAG FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,168, dated November 18, 1884-.

Application filed September-17, 1884.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. JEFFER- soN, of Rugby, in the county of Morgan and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Bag Fastener, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to providea new and improved device for fastening mailbags, which is strong, simple in construction, and by means of which the bag can be fastened or unfastened or opened very easily and rapidly.

The invention consists in the combination, with a mail-bag,of steel strips fastened on the sides of the mouth of the same, one side end being adapted to overlap the other, and the overlapping part being provided with a staple projecting from its inner surface and adapted to be passed through the strips and the closed top of the bag.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure l is a cross-sectional elevation of the top of a mail-bag provided with my improved mail-bag fastener. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same on the linew (r, Fig. 1.

The end A of one side of the mail-bag B is of such length that it can be folded down or lapped over the end 0 of the other side at the mouth of the bag, so that the end A will cover both sides of the end 0. In the end 0 a steel strip, D, is fastened parallel with the edge, and rivets a are passed through the end 0 above, below, and through the steel strip D to hold the same in place. On the inner surface of the overlapping end A two steel strips, E, are fastened by rivets, bands, or clips Fpassed over the said strips and riveted to the said part A of the bag, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The strips D and E are provided at the iniddles with slots G, and the leather or canvas of the bag is provided with corresponding slots to permit passing a staple, H, through the bag, the closed end of which staple projects slightly from the outer surface of the closed bag, the staple being secured to the overlapping part of the end A. as shown, or maybe fastened to a hasp which is hinged (No model.)

to the side A and passes through a slot in the side A and the steel strip. A slotted guard-plate, K, is hinged to the outer surface of the bag where the closed end of the staple projects.

Through each end of the strip D a metal plate, J, is passed, the' ends of which are bent over parallel with the sides of the strip D, the ends of the plates J on the opposite ends of the strip D projecting toward each other and forming pockets for receiving the flattened ends of the strips E.

To close the bag, the ends of one strip E are passed into the corresponding pockets formed by the plates J on the inside of the part or end 6 C, the partA is folded over the part or end 0, the staple H passed through the apertures or slots in the strips and bag, and the ends of the other strip E are passed into the other pockets formed by the plates J on the outside of 70 the part or end 0, and then the shackle of a padlock, M, is passed through the staple H above the plate K. The-inner steel strip E is slightly concave to the side 0 to facilitate the emptying of the bag. Preferably one or more rivets, a, are passed through .the strip D to prevent shifting.

The bag can be opened or closed very rapidly. There are no projecting parts. The locking devices are out of the way and not apt to be injured, and the fasteningis very secure and safe. The steel strips strengthen and stiffen the mouth of the bag.

Having thus described my invention, Wh at I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 85 Patent, is

1. The combinatiomwith a mail-bag having one side end adapted to be folded over the other, of steel strips held on the said ends adapted to interlock, and of a staple held on the inner side of the overlapping part of the bag, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with the mail-bag 13, having a metal strip, D, held on the end 0, and two metal strips, E, held by clips on the inner surface of the end A, adapted to interlock with strip D,of the staple H, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with the mail-bag B, 100

the strips E, held on the inner sides of the overlapping end A and having their ends flattened, and of the staple H, held in the overlapping part of the end A, substantially as herein shown and described.

CHARLES W. JEFFERSON.

Vitnesses:

THOMAS FARDON, OEoIL S. MOORE. 

